1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to medical devices configured for a limited number of uses and/or period of use.
2. Background of the Related Art
Certain medical devices (or components thereof) are capable of being used multiple times, and are thus referred to as reusable devices (or reusable components), while other medical devices (or components thereof) are configured for single use, and are thus referred to as disposable devices (or disposable components). Many such reusable and disposable medical devices, and/or the components thereof, are designed for a pre-determined number of uses and/or for a pre-determined usage time. Use of these devices beyond their prescribed usage time or number of uses may result in failure of the device, damage to the device or surrounds, and/or injury to the patient or clinician. On the other hand, given the rising costs of performing medical procedures, clinician's have an incentive to maximize the reuse of medical devices (or components thereof).